Jeanette Forlano Slaw

Have you ever noticed that some people appear to be aging much faster than others? Scientists are learning that we may actually be able to slow the aging process by changing some of our unhealthy habits. In part 2 of this series on aging -- don't miss Aging Well for a Healthier Life and Steps to Slow Aging Naturally -- courtesy of Shaklee Health Sciences, you can find out what your aging speed might be by taking a quick quiz.

Scientists who study aging have found there are many things that can speed your aging:

High Stress Stress and anxiety are a normal part of life and usually aren't a problem until they become an everyday event. Stress raises many hormones, including cortisol, which can impact the way we look and how fast we age.1 In a recent study, women with a high level of anxiety had biological markers of women who were six years older.2Smoking When you look at the faces of people who are long-term smokers you can see that smoking destroys our skin and is associated with many chronic diseases including heart disease and stroke, as well as lung cancer.3Too Much Sun Exposure While the sun is good for us as a great source of vitamin D, ultraviolet radiation is well known to age skin.4Poor Sleep Short-term sleep restriction (such as having a bad night's sleep) has a variety of adverse effects including raising blood pressure, impairing blood sugar control, and increasing inflammation which all accelerate aging. But when people don't sleep well over a long period of time (less than 7 hours of sleep) they are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and all-cause mortality. 5Eating Poorly Many foods seem to increase aging including trans-fats, processed and hydrogenated oils.6 Refined sugars produce a chemical reaction called advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) in our bodies and these have been tied to diseases including cataracts, Alzheimer's disease, cardiovascular disease, and stroke.7Overweight Obesity has been called a state of chronic inflammation and oxidative stress8 and is associated with a variety of diseases, including diabetes, colon cancer, gallstones, hypertension, heart disease, and stroke (men only).9,10Not Exercising Sedentary lifestyles have long been associated with being less healthy. People who don't exercise are more likely to be overweight, have higher risk for diabetes, heart disease and even certain cancers.11